Resilient driving or power-transmitting device



Oct. 25 1927.

c. L. SHEPPY RESILIENT DRIVING 0R POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1922 CHARLES L. SHEPPY, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK; ANNABEL F. SHEPPY AND CHARLES GORDON SHEPEY EXECUTDRS OF SAID CHARLES L. SHEPPY, DECEASED.

RESILIENT DRIVING 0R EOEVER-TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

Application filed January 26, 1922. Serial No. 531,890.

My invention relates to resilient driving or ing drawings, the hub 1 of the wheel is propower transmission mechanisms and more vided with a plurality of radially extending particularly to gears, sprocket wheels and the comparatively wide abutments 2. In the like, having a resilient connection between present instance four of these abutments are a. the hub and rim of the wheel for absorbing shown and they are spaced apart by subshocks and vibrations between the driving stantially right angular, V-shaped spaces or and the driven elements of the gearing or apertures 3. Any other suitable number of mechanismin which the wheel is used. the abutments could, however, be used. The

One of the objects of my invention is to abutments 2. are preferably of less thickness provide a balanced resilient gear of the above axially of the wheel than the hub and are artype which will absorb the smallest shocks ranged on the hub intermediate of its ends.

and vibrations imparted to one of the parts Surrounding the radial abutments 2, thereof and prevent them from being transwhich have segmental, circular, outer edges, mitted to the other part of the wheel and the is a rim 4t having suitable gear teeth 5 on 1.3 mechanism with which it connects. its outer periphery or being of other forma- Another object of my invention is to protion suitable for driving purposes. A. porvide a resilient gear of this sort which is contion of the inner surface of this rim bears structed so that it can be made in small sizes, on the outer edges of the abutments 2, suitpermitting the use of the same for operating able oil grooves being preferably provided the cam shafts and indicating instruments of in the abutments for lubrication between automobile engines, The construction of the the rim and the abutnients 2. The rim is wheel embodying my invention is such that, provided with an annular flan e 6 which while it can be made substantially as small extends inwardly at one side or the abutas the solid wheels ordinarily used between ments 2 and bears at its inner edge upon the 5 the crank shaft, cam shaft or other instruhub l, the hub being preferably slightly rements in an automobile engine it will have duced at this point to form a shoulder 7 in the advantage over the solid type of driving alignment with the abutments 2 and against gear and will absorb or take up the torsional which the flange is adapted to bear. This vibrations that occur in gasoline engine crank flange 6 is provided with a plurality of latshafts, and are so destructive to the gears erally extending studs or abutments 8 which and chains, etc, used to drive the cam shafts are arranged one in each of the spaces 3 be and instruments. When used in such contween the abutments 2 and are provided with nections the wheel embodying my invention faces substantially parallel with the opposing permits of the use of other material than edges of the abutments 2. Each stud or metal, such for instance as inicarta, linen, abutment 8 is preferably formed by a separaw hide, etc, in the construction of the rate pin having a stem 9 which is reduced in wheel or of the gearing in which it is used diameter to form a shoulder 10 bearing to reduce the noise incident to the gearing. against the face of the flange 6, and extends Another object of my invention is to prothrough an opening in the flange and is head- 4 vide a strong and durable resilient gear ed over on the rear face of this flange to 9: wheel of the above type which may be readily securely rivet the studs or abutments in and easily manufactured and which shall position. consist of comparatively few parts. Coiled springs 11 are interposed between For the purpose of disclosing my inventhe rim abutment pins 8 and the hub abuttion I have illustrated one embodiment therements 2. Preferably these coiled springs are 1 0 of in the accompanying drawings, in which: located in the recesses 12 formed in the abut- .Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a wheel em 'ments 2 on the hub and at one end each bodying my invention, a portion of the same spring seats on a shoulder 13 formed in the being shown in section for illustrating the recess, its other end fitting oyer a plug let 50 relative arrangement of the parts, which bears against the opposlng face of an Fig. 9. is a sectional view taken on a line abutment 8. Since the rim abutments 8 are 2-2 of Figure 1. formed by separate pins or pieces, the con- Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on a line tacting faces of these abutments and of the 3-3 of Figure 1. bearing plugs 14: for the springs 11 can be 55 In thewheel. illustrated in the accompanyreadily hardened to reduce the wear on these 119 placement of the rim relatively to the hub and this collar in turn is held in position by a shoulder 16 on the shaft 17 on which the hub 1 is keyed or secured, although any other 7 means for securing the collar in position may bearing be used.

The springs are arranged in pairs in such a manner that the springs of each pair will act in opposition to one another and thereby produce a balanced spring effect between the hub and the rim. Referring specifically to one palr of the springs 11', one of the springs seating against the shoulder 13 in the recess 12 and bearing against one face of one of the rim abutments 8 will tend to move the abutment 8 to the i right, whereas the spring against the opposite face of the abutment and seat-ing in the hub abutment 2 on the opposite side will tend to move the rim abutment to the left so that thereis a tendency at all times on the part of the springs'to balance the driving and driven members of the gear. This arrangement of the springs with relation to the abutment members provides an extremely sensitive resilient driving gear which will permit a limited relative movement between the rim and hub upon the slightest application of torque to the driving member, and thereby absorb the smallest vibration shocks imposed 7 upon the driving member and prevent these shocks from'being imparted to the driven in the construction illustrated eight springs are used,four of which oppose "the action of the other four, and when-any torsional strain 'imposedupon the driven member toturn the driving member of the gear, only four of the springs dr vem one direction. Any other suitable number of airs of'on osed s rings could be employed. Due to the fact that all shocks and vibrations imparted to the driven member bythe driving apparatus are taken up by the springs, there 1s no shock strain imparted to the teeth of the gear-, wlnch shocks are so destructive to the teeth, the wheel and especiallythe rim portion may be formed of micarta linen rawhide 'etc. to reduce the noise incidental to gear drives.

I claim as my invention: 7

l. A power transmitting wheel comprising a hub member having'outwardly projecting spaced abutments, a rim member which surrounds said abutments and is mounted on said hub member to'rotate therewith and also to have a limited rotary movement relative to the hub member, an abutment pro ecting from said rnnmember having spring betweenadjacent sides of said hub abutments, said hub abutments having spring pockets in their adjacent sides and disposed inwardly from the outer ends of said abutments, and coil springs confined and bearing in said spring pockets and exerting opposing pressures on said rim abutment, said springs being of an external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the spring pockets and of a length not to project substantially out of the 'springpockets, the faces of said rim abutment against which said springs act occupying planes disposed at substantial angles to planes radial to the wheel and intersecting said abutment faces.

2. A power transmitting'wheel comprising a hub member having outwardly projecting spaced abutments, a rim member which surrounds said abutments and is mounted on said hub member to rotate therewith and also to have a limited rotary pressures on said rim abutment, said springs being of an external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the spring pockets and of a length not to project substantially out of the spring pockets, bearing studs substantially fitting in'the outer ends of said springs and contacting with theadjacent facesof said rim abutment in planes disposed at substantial angles to planes. radial to the wheel and intersecting said contacting faces ofsaid studs and abutment,

3. A powertransmitting wheel comprising a hub member having an outwardly projccting abutment, a rim member which surrounds said abutment and is mounted on said hub member to rotate therewith and also to have a limited rotarymovement relative to the hub member, abutment-s PI'OJGGl'H ing from said rim member at opposite sides of sa1d-hub abutment, said hub abutment bearing 'in said spring pockets and exerting pressure inoppositmn to each other on said rim abutments, said springs being of an r external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the spring pockets and of a length: not to project substantially out of "said abutment faces.

4 wheel comprising-a hub member, a

rim member circumferentially movable with pockets in its opposite sides disposed inwardly from the outer end of said abutment, and coil springs confined and neaegrva g3:

respect to the hub member, one of said members having a plurality of radially arranged spaced apart abutments having a peripheral bearing engagement with the other member and provided with recesses in the opposite edges thereof, the other member having); an annular extension having a peripheral bearinn; engagement with the first member and being prevented from lateral displacement in one direction by said abutments, means for holding said extension against lateral displacement in the opposite direction, laterally extending abutments mounted on said extension and arranged in the spaces between said radial abutments and a plurality oi' coiled springs interposed between said lateral and radial abutments, arranged in said recesses, each spring having one end seating in a recess and the opposite end acting against a lateral abutment.

5. A wheel comprising ahub member, a rim member surrounding and rotatable on said hub member, one of said members havin; a stri extending radially toward the other member, said strip having a passage therethrough extending from side to side with its axis in a plane transverse to the axis of said hub, said passage having, intermediate of its ends, a constricted portion forming an annular abutment, helical springs disposed in the ends of said passage against said abutment, and abutments provided upon the other of said members in somewhat spaced relation to the sides of the strip with the springs compressed between the annular and the other abutments, whereby the relative rotation of said members in both directions will be yieldingly resisted by said springs.

6. A wheel comprising a hub member formed of a sleeve and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the sleeve, a rim member rotatable relatively to the hub member about the axis of the latter and having a portion encircling said sleeve and arms, each arm having: a passage from side to side and crosswise thereof, each passage having a constricted portion intermediate of its ends forming an internal annular abutment, pins carried by said rim member between and spaced somewhat from the arms, and helical compression springs in the ends of each passage and compressed between the pins and annular abutments, whereby the relative rotation of said members will be yieldingly resisted by said springs.

CHARLES L. SHEPPY. 

